MONO SODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG)

A couple of years ago my husband did an audit of my kitchen cupboard and ended up dumping its entire contents in the garbage bin! The reason? MSG!

It is amazing to know that even though the side effects of MSG are fairly well known for a long time now, it is still very widely used in numerous processed foods as a flavour enhancer!

No matter how much you try to read labels in supermarkets and try not to buy anything that has MSG in ingredients list, it is literally in almost every processed food either spelt out fully or under different hidden names. 'No added MSG' on the label usually doesn't mean a lot!

It is impossible to avoid mono sodium glutamate completely in your diet or being exposed to the harms of MSG but you can still try and have a whole food diet as much as you can with foods as little processed- in its most natural form and as organic as possible - to help reduce your MSG consumption significantly and not to suffer from MSG side effects.

MSG, like Aspartame which I wrote about on my last blog, is an excitotoxin that literally shocks your nervous system and excites your brain to a significant level. The side effects of MSG are quite hard to avoid and they are found to be similar to that of certain neurological drugs.

MSG Side Effects

If you are suffering from any of the following conditions then it is very likely that you are suffering from MSG poisoning:

• Headaches (constant)

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Diarrhoea.

• Irritable bowel symptoms.

• Bloating.

• Stomach cramps.

• Chest pain.

• Rashes or hives.

• Runny nose or sneezing.

• Weakness and fatigue or lethargy.

• Warmth on the face, back or arms.

• Tightness or pressure on face.

• Pressure around eyes.

• Burning or tingling sensations in the neck, chest and back.

• Heart palpitations and rapid heartbeat.

• Stiffness.

• Mental confusion, anxiety, mood swings or depression.

• Difficulty focusing.

• Dizziness or light-headedness.

• Blurred vision.

• Bags under the eyes.

• Difficulty sleeping and insomnia.

• Frequent urination.

• Constant cravings.

• Restlessness.

MSG Serious Health problems

Then of course there are the even more serious health problems that can occur due to frequent use of MSG:

• Extreme drop or rise in blood pressure.

• Increased rates of obesity.

• Hypoglycemia.

• Rectal bleeding.

• Panic attacks.

• Behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children that are often attributed to junk foods.

• Asthma and inability to breathe in asthmatic patients.

• Swelling on prostate and vagina.

• Paralysis.

• Seizures.

• Brain cell death and brain damage.

• Brain tumors.

• Strokes.

• Severe depression.

• Rage reactions.

• Liver abnormalities.

Source:

http://www.glycemic-index.org/msg-side-effects.html

Hidden Sources of MSG In Foods

From the book -

Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills

By Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD

What if someone were to tell you that a chemical (MSG) added to food could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children's nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties?

What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

Suppose evidence was presented to you strongly suggesting that the artificial sweetener in your diet soft drink may cause brain tumors to develop, and that the number of brain tumors reported since the introduction of this widespread introduction of this artificial sweetener has risen dramatically? Would that affect your decision to drink these products and especially to allow your children to drink them? What if you could be shown overwhelming evidence that one of the main ingredients in this sweetener (aspartate) could cause the same brain lesions as MSG? Would that affect your buying decisions?

And finally, what if it could be demonstrated that all of these types of chemicals, called excitotoxins, could possibly aggravate or even precipitate many of today's epidemic neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ALS, and Alzheimer's disease? Would you be concerned if you knew that these excitotoxin food additives are a particular risk if you have diabetes, or have ever had a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, seizure, or have suffered from hypertension, meningitis, or viral encephalitis?

Would you also be upset to learn that many of the brain lesions caused by these products in your children are irreversible and can result from a SINGLE exposure of these products in sufficient concentration?

How would you feel when you learn the food industry hides and disguises these excitotoxin additives (MSG and Aspartate) so they can't be recognized? Incredulous? Enraged? The fact is many foods are labeled as having "No MSG" but in fact not only contain MSG but also are laced with other excitotoxins of equal potency and danger.

All of the above are true. And all of these well known brain toxins are poured into our food and drink by the thousands of tons to boost sales. These additives have NO OTHER purpose other than to enhance to TASTE of food and the SWEETNESS of various diet products.

Hidden Sources of MSG

As discussed previously, the glutamate (MSG) manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise the MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.

* Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG *
Monosodium Glutamate
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein (Including TVP)
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Corn Oil
* Food Additives That FREQUENTLY Contain MSG *
Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavors/Flavoring
Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices
* Food Additives That MAY Contain MSG Or Excitotoxins*
Carrageenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Concentrate

A Final Note...
Dr. Blaylock recounted a meeting with a senior executive in the food additive industry who told him point blank that these excitotoxins are going to be in our food no matter how many name changes are necessary...

For more information:

The Govt definition of "natural flavors" - because it's "natural" doesn't make it safe.
George E. Shambaugh, Jr., MD, Professor Emeritus - writes about the dangers in taste enhancers.
The dangers of MSG: If MSG isn't harmful, why is it hidden?
Collected reports of adverse reactions to MSG ingestion.
Hidden sources of MSG; some names of ingredients that contain MSG.
The danger of MSG and how it is hidden in vaccines.
Links to MSG Documents.
Food additives - uses and side effects.
The Slow Poisoning of America- book about the dangers of food additives.
Hidden Sources of MSG - From the book Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills

If you wish to E-mail this warning to someone, here is the web address:

http://www.sellingsalesmanship.com/msginfo.htm

Be Blessed & Stay Healthy!

sharbs

The Brilliant CANCER Cure the FDA Tried Their Best to Shut Down...

I am posting another blog before my usual schedule because this video is only available until tomorrow (June 13th). it is a must see! This is the link:

http://vimeo.com/24821365

Important! The producers of this powerful film are allowing a full and FREE preview through June 13th! Please tell everyone you know to watch this film in it's entirety through June 13, 2011.

You may visit Dr Mercola's website at the link below to read up some more about this video:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/11/burzynski-the-movie.aspx 

This is real...it is not a hoax. Please pass it on as nuch as you can. I hope and pray that someone out there who is suffering from cancer will see this video and have some hope.

Blessings
sharbs

THE TRUTH ABOUT ASPARTAME!

Millions of people around the world use Aspartame without realizing the amount of poison they are ingesting into their bodies. Aspartame is the Technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal- Measure. It is also found in thousands of products (especially those that are designed for the health conscious individual!) including Diet soft drinks, sugar free chewing gum, breath mints, instant breakfast, cocoa mixes, cereals, and almost every coffee shop that you step into, and (note this!): Multivitamins plus pharmaceuticals and other over the counter supplements and drugs!  The list is huge! The horrible thing about it is that they place it these products with the view that if you want to take care of your health and take care of your weight this is the product you should use! And consumers are falling for it every day! Make sure that you are not one of them. [Make sure   that you stay away from those diet drinks!!]

According to physicians and other researchers who are studying the negative effects of Aspartame, these are the chronic diseases which can be either triggered or worsened by ingesting Aspartame: Brain tumors (including brain cancer), multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes (the very disease that it is supposedly targeted to assist!).

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of "chemical poison." (http://aspartame.mercola.com)

Why have we not heard much more about this?

This is mainly because there is a lack of awareness of the general population and also because a lot of persons do not associate their symptoms with the long term use of aspartame. There are many persons who have killed a significant portion of their brain cells and have thus brought on some form of chronic illness on themselves, but there is no way that they would have associated this illness with the use of aspartame without any knowledge of its harmful effects.

Why was it approved for use?

The approval of aspartame by the FDA is a very tainted process, which included falsified documents and botched tests and which ended up with the Commissioner of the FDA being hired by the public relations firm for the manufacturer of the product (G.D. Searle) after he granted the approval! After his departure, four other FDA officials who were also connected with the approval of aspartame, likewise left the organization for lucrative positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979 and 1982.

Aspartame was approved for use in dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983 by the FDA. The FDA further went on to approve it for use in malt beverages breakfast cereals and refrigerated puddings and fillings in 1992. Then in 1993 they approved it for use in soft candies, non-alcoholic flavoured beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices, concentrates, baked goods and baking mixes, frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods. It can therefore be in just about anything you purchase so check labels carefully for it. You might see it referred to by one of its scientific names mentioned above such as ‘Aspartic Acid’.

What I find to be even more interesting is that in 1991 the FDA banned the importation of Stevia. This is a natural product (powder derived from the leaf of a plant) that has been in use for hundreds of years in countries such as Japan as an alternative sweetener, with no adverse side effects, yet it was banned! This is despite the facts that Scientists involved in reviewing Stevia had declared it to be safe for human consumption (something that was already widely known in many regions around the world, where it has not been banned).  Some people are of the belief that Stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the USA and cutting into sales of aspartame…what do you believe? Anyhow, they could not do it forever, so Stevia is now very available in almost any health food store that I have gone to in Canada.

You have now been armed with the truth, what you do with it is totally up to you, but if I were you I would clear out my cupboards of any of these substances if they are currently there and I would be picking up a pack of Stevia on my next visit to the health food store!

Be Blessed and Stay Healthy!
sharbs

Sources:

Read more about this at the following address if you have the time:

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/aspartame-poison.html

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-information.html

LACK OF SLEEP AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH

These days we rush through our days and nights and do not bother to get a good night’s sleep. Most of the times we treat sleep as an unnecessary bother that we just need to get over in order to continue with our day. What would you say though if you were told that having a good night’s rest could help prevent cancer and a myriad of other illnesses as well as how fast you age? Would you pay more attention to your sleep habits?

Here is what Dr. Mercola has to say about it:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/02/secrets-to-a-good-night-sleep.aspx

Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that you might not even realize you suffer from it. Science has now established that a sleep deficit can have serious, far reaching effects on your health.

For example, interrupted or impaired sleep can:

·              Dramatically weaken your immune system

·              Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions

·              Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight

·              Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day

·              Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability

When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin (a hormone AND an antioxidant) and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.

Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including:

·              Heart disease

·              Stomach ulcers

·              Constipation

·              Mood disorders like depression

Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep (and during certain types of exercise, such as Peak Fitness Technique). Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger.

One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause.

Lost sleep is lost forever, and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. Poor sleep can make your life miserable, as most of you probably know.

The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your “sleep health.”

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from my tips and tricks below.

Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary

1.          Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer.  Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio. Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.

2.          Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.

When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.

3.          Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well.

To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts  even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.

4.          Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.

5.          Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.

6.          Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.

7.          Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

8.          Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.

9.          Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

10.     Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.

11.     Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.

12.     Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.

13.     Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.

14.     Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.

15.     Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.

16.     Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.

17.     Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.

18.     Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.

19.     Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.

20.     No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.

21.     Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD. Another favorite is the Sleep Harmony CD, which uses a combination of advanced vibrational technology and guided meditation to help you effortlessly fall into deep delta sleep within minutes. The CD works on the principle of “sleep wave entrainment” to assist your brain in gearing down for sleep.  

22.     Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!

23.     Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my cortisol levels are high.

Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep

24.     Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely effect sleep. In most cases, the condition causing the drugs to be taken in the first place can be addressed by following guidelines elsewhere on my web site.

25.     Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).

26.     Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.

27.     Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.

28.     Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep. (CLICK HERE for my nutritional recommendations.)

29.     Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.

30.     Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.

31.     If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.

Be Blessed and Stay Healthy!

sharbs